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SCIENCE ROCKS
Ms. Pflugrath’s 3rd Grade Class Newsletter

Good day parents and guardians, I hope you are all enjoying this nice
weather. In this following newsletter I am going to be going over the next
module we will be learning in class. This will have the standards in science
and other content areas, inquiry-based learning through the 5E’s model,
and ending with different ways to be involved in your child’s learning
through this next module.

Let’s talk about Force, Motion, and Energy. By the end of this lesson
students will understand how the force on an object will determine how it
moves due to size and direction, also, be able to explain safety rules when
riding in a motor vehicle. The next page lists all standards we will meet in
this module.
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Standards
VA SOL Science:

3.2 The student will investigate and understand that the direction
and size of force affects the motion of an object. Key ideas include
b) the net force on an object determines how an object moves;

NGSS:

3-PS2-2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to

provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and

used to explain change. (3-PS2-3)

VA SOL Health:

3.2 The student will demonstrate the ability to use essential health
concepts to improve personal health.

Safety/Injury Prevention

a) Explain the importance of following safety rules at home and

when riding in a motor vehicle.
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What is inquiry-based learning also known as the 5E’s model?

“Inquiry based learning is defined as a learning process that engages

students by making real-world connections through exploration and high-
level questioning” (Inquiry-Based Learning, n.d.)

The 5E’s stands for Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In
the Engage stage students will be introduced to the lesson by activating
their prior knowledge and sparking their interest in the content. Next in
Explore students will work with their peers to begin understanding the topic
together. In the Explain stage as a class we will go through the content by
talking about what is happening. Then in the Elaborating stage students
will apply what they have learned in a new way. Lastly students will show
their understanding of the content in the Evaluate stage, this shows the
students and I what they grasped (YouTube, 2012.)
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What will the 5E model process look like within the module?

Engage
❖ To open the up the module students will come into the classroom with
pictures of crash dummies on the white board. We will discuss if
anyone knows what they are and then go into if anyone has seen a
crash on tv, in a movie, or read about one. Then we end the
discussion going over how a car crash might relate to the force of
objects and how seatbelts have changed through history.

Explore
❖ Students will learn how a seatbelt, the net force, changes the force of
a moving object, crash dummy in an accident. Students will go
throughout the week learning about how to set up the experiment and
small lessons to get their experimental minds ready to figure out how
their invention affects the dummy.

Explain
❖ Force concepts will be explained through videos from different
websites and books going over the vocabulary. The book sections is
“Roller Coaster” by Marla Frazee, “Motion Push and Pull, Fast and
Slow” by Darlene Stille, “Eyewitness: Force and Motion”, and “newton
and Me” by Lynne Mayer. We will go through the vocabulary as we
read and use games to reinforce the definitions.

Elaborate
❖ Students will use hands on activities, going through the experiment
process, reading books, watching videos, and sharing what they
learned with their personal community
❖ If students want to explore more about force and motion, they can
watch clips or the full episode from PBS, link provided below for the
full episode
❖ The classroom library will have a variety of books students can
choose from to read.
❖ Coloring sheets on the information about force and motion will be in
the art area.
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❖ If students are still struggling on grasping the concepts they will be

pulled off into a small group while the PBS video is playing
❖ Here we will use worksheets on force and the experiment process,
have flashcards for the definitions, and have peers help each other.
Students who excelled in one area can help their peer who is
struggling. Coloring worksheets on the concepts will be provided as
well.

Evaluate
❖ Students will work in groups of 4 to create their own version of
a seatbelt with supplies provided in the classroom, mentioned
in the beginning. They must build their invention to be tested
against the other.
❖ Daily exit tickets on the concepts from the day will be used,
read aloud questions, KWL charts, class discussions, and
playing online games will be used as well.

Differentiation throughout this module is accounted for.

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How can I be involved in my child’s learning?

There are different forms to be involved in the learning process at home

and around the community.

❖ Instead of just going to the playground, use the playground as a way

to learn about motion. Here you can ask questions on force and
motion. They do not need to be complex, simple is great. Use it as
an opportunity to discuss what they are learning in class and how it
relates to the park. If you go to activity 10, this is an example of
questions to ask and ways to help your child relate force and motion
to the their world.

https://ie.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/277/2019/09/3rd-Grade-Force-
Motion-on-the-Playground_Final-Version.pdf

If reading at night or in the day is part of your routine here are the books we
will be reading in class. Also, two websites with a variety of other books to
choose from if you prefer not to reread the same stories at home.

❖ Books we will be reading in the classroom

o Roller Coaster” by Marla Frazee, “Motion Push and Pull, Fast
and Slow” by Darlene Stille, “Eyewitness: Force and Motion”,
and “newton and Me” by Lynne Mayer
❖ Other Book Choices
These two websites have a variety of books on the content
o https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/10-early-learning-books-
about-forces-and-motion
o https://www.getepic.com/collection/156082/forces-and-motion-
grade-3-science

Playing games is a great way to be involved in their learning. This website

has great options, I recommend the marshmallow shooter one, number 7.

❖ https://www.teachjunkie.com/sciences/19-fun-ideas-resources-force-
and-motion/
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As stated in the beginning of the year I have an open door policy to

volunteer and help out in the classroom. If your schedule does not allow
you to come in during the classroom hours, please reach out so we can
discuss other ways to volunteer and help. I do not want to add stress to
your schedule, this should be a fun and exciting way to be more hands
on with your child’s learning.

If you have any questions or ideas for volunteering, please reach out to
me through my email attached below.

Have a wonderful rest of your day,

Ms. Pflugrath

pflugrath@school.org
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References
3-PS2-2 motion and stability: Forces and interactions. 3-PS2-2 Motion and Stability: Forces and
Interactions | Next Generation Science Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/3-ps2-2-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions

3rd grade force motion on the Playground - UNC Institute for the ... (n.d.). Retrieved April 5,
2023, from https://www.ie.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/277/2019/09/3rd-Grade-
Force-Motion-on-the-Playground_Final-Version.pdf

Health education. Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/health-education

Inc., E. C. (n.d.). Forces and motion - grade 3 science book collection on epic. Epic. Retrieved
April 5, 2023, from https://www.getepic.com/collection/156082/forces-and-motion-grade-
3-science

Inquiry-Based Learning. Santa Ana College. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.sac.edu/AcademicAffairs/TracDat/Pages/Inquiry-Based-Learning-
.aspx#:~:text=Inquiry%2Dbased%20learning%20is%20a,problem%2Dsolving%20and%20
experiential%20learning.

Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). 10 early learning books about forces and motion. PBS.
Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/10-early-learning-books-
about-forces-and-motion

Science. Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/science

Teach Junkie. (2020, October 24). 19 Fun Ideas & Resources for force and Motion. Teach
Junkie. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.teachjunkie.com/sciences/19-fun-ideas-
resources-force-and-motion/

YouTube. (2012). Bscs 5E Instructional Model. YouTube. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is7a3nkoe-g.